The stabilization of earth construction material and research regarding earth construction techniques

THE STABILIZATION OF EARTH CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AND RESEARCH REGARDING EARTH CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES. (M.Sc. Thesis) Göknil GÜRBÜZ GAZI UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY March 2005 ABSTRACT Everyone is well aware of the fact that earth has been used as a building material ever since mankind began living in permanent settlements. One of the main reasons for the general preference for this material is that earth buildings provide good indoor living environments and sustainability. However, as is common with any other type of construction, earth buildings also have some adverse aspects. Within time many attempts have been made to eliminate these problems, especially with the recent improvements in technology and with the increase of various techniques. Research is still currently being conducted in order to overcome the problems of building with earth. In this study, initially an explanation of clay which serves as the base material for earth building constructions has been provided. Thereafter, the three main earth building construction techniques have been examined, and information about their performance has been provided. Due to their natural structure, bentonite is a very good waterproof clay mineral, which is commonly used across the world. As a result, we have decided that an investigation is required in order to find out whether bentonite may be used in order to increase water resistancy and mechanical strength of earth materials, and in order to develop the regulations and standards regarding earth buildings in Turkey. Finally, it has been decided that earth building constructions and the adoption of their regulatory standards will provide various benefits to the Turkish economy, primarily providing benefits to the Turkish economy, to human health, and to the environment. Science Code : 811 Key Words : Earth Construction, Adobe, Clay, Bentonite, Sustainable Architecture Page Number : 124 Adviser : Ph. D., Assoc. Prof. G ülser ÇELEBİ